Archive for the ‘Articles’ Category

You all know that a 3D virtual world is primarily composed of polygons. While each successive generation of consoles rendered more polygons on screen, there’s still a limit for every system. Let say there’s a ten meter road with hundreds of pebbles strewn about. Although they’re small, the amount of pebbles really add up. With the ever increasing need for graphical detail, those extra 500,000 polygons just won’t do. The polygons should be used on more important details than some small pebbles. All they could do in the 64/32-bit days was create a pebble texture. It’s still just a flat piece of paper. Nowadays, we have bump mapping. Artists can now create extra details without the expense of using extra polygons, and look far better than just a plain flat texture. You’re adding detail far beyond what the system’s capable of.(more…)

Graphics is the first and only thing we can experience from a game that is still months or years away. They’re there to give us a first lasting impression — whether it’s good or bad. While gameplay is more important, you can only judge graphics and not gameplay from images. Long before the internet, we had only screen shots to judge a game. Even with advances in technology, we’ve only come so far as being able to see the game in motion. Even then, watching a video doesn’t tell us how the game controls, or how well it plays. Demos don’t come till the game is near completion. So while gameplay is still the all important factor to some of us, we have to agonize over screens and videos until we finally get our hands on it. So let’s start talking about graphics!(more…)

WARNING: The following article contains foul language. You have been warned.

So there I was, sitting in front of my computer, and clicking on some random youtube link I saw — it was a video review. Right away comes a guy grabbing beer from his fridge. So what is this, the Angry Nintendo Nerd? Well, the guy looks kinda nerdy — with his white shirt, pocket full of pens, and the glasses… Oh great, he’s going to complain about the first TMNT on the NES? Oh well, I had nothing better to do anyway, so I decided give it a watch. To be quite honest, that was my first youtube video review, ever. At first, he sounded a bit nitpicky, but as he went on, memories of my childhood came rushing back — the beautiful memories of the second game with my friend, followed by the disappointing prequel; memories of my meager (but damn good) game collection that lacked a TMNT title; followed by memories of the Christmas that a relative bought me a TMNT game. By then, I had 2 out of 3 chances of getting one that kicks ass, instead, I was handed a piece of ass. Yes, I was disappointed, but I still played it with the excitement of a new game (that I hadn’t played in years) back then. Watching the nerd rip apart the game was like seeing my childhood being liberated — liberated from the cage of denial. Watching the AVGN tearing it apart was therapeutic for me. Watching that guy made me laugh! Watching that video made me a fan.

Me: The inspiration for Handheld Wii had another source. It started with a simple little chat I had with Terranigma Freak over AIM. We were casually talking about Fire Emblem remake for the DS. There really isn’t anything to speculate over a game we’ve both played to death, but we did pour over the animation. Our fear is that the game will once again deliver the same cringe worthy animation like its GBA counterpart. At the same time, I found it laughable that some people claim the GBA games had good animation. People are free to love it as much as you want, and I have no intention of making them change their mind, but I feel there are far too many problems that needed to be addressed, and thus, the idea of my own site was spawned. Not only did I have a place to express myself, but also a place to write my own articles about things that interests me. The unsightly Fire Emblem animation was the first thing on my mind.

TF: Unsightly? You’re too kind. The animation looks more like diarrhea vomited out of a buffalo’s di–

Me: I think they get the picture…

TF: I’d rather eat the rotten asshole of a roadkill skunk and down it with beer!!!

Me: Ok, ok, calm down, man. That’s why I brought you here to help me with this article.(more…)